


Shuichi Saihara: Demon Detective

by DoomedTemperament



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Demons, Crimes & Criminals, Detectives, Drama, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Humor, Identity Issues, M/M, Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rivalry, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:21:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25986547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoomedTemperament/pseuds/DoomedTemperament
Summary: If anything, Shuichi would have chosen his appearances over his detective work. But as a hybrid who shouldn’t have even existed in the first place, it was less of a birthright and more of an obligation. The hierarchy of demonhood was a cruel mistress, one that Shuichi felt powerless to fight against. At the very least, he supposed, he had lived a fairly comfortable life. Some demons, especially those that had inherited less humane traits, certainly couldn’t say the same. It would have been nice if he’d been born with something interesting like wings or a tail though.
Relationships: Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi
Comments: 11
Kudos: 115





	1. Trapped, Traits, Transfer

**Author's Note:**

> Hello hello! Been a while since I wrote anything for OumaSai. But the other night I had a dream about demon high school detectives and... well, here I am. As is almost always the case with my multichapter fics, this was written completely on a whim with little to no planning in advance. But I hope you enjoy what I've got so far anyway!

_The idea that demons are inherently and unambiguously evil beings is, above all, a horrific misunderstanding on behalf of humans._

_Given, of course, that demons are by far the stronger beings of the two, that misunderstanding is for their own safety; To be human is to be weak. While the human world is much more diverse, much more sizable, much more unique and full of possibility than the demon world, humans themselves are so fragile. Small. Breakable. Weak._

_However..._

_Human ignorance to the existence of demons beyond folklore is a matter of survival for both species. Humans are weak, but numerous. Demons are strong, but scarce. A demon in human territory would be easily overwhelmed by the vastness of humanity’s influence. In that regard, humans are to ants as demons are to dying earthworms. Powerless when faced with quantity._

_This is the way or the world, and why the laws of the universe dictate that the two shall never meet._

_But, to every law, there is always one exempt from it._

_And to every law, there is one who seeks to break it._

_This is the story of Shuichi Saihara, stuck between the two._

* * *

Shuichi Saihara was not human, and he never was. If anyone ever asked him about his family, he’d say his mother and father were absent from his life, and that he was mostly raised by his uncle. That was both true and false. His father was absent from his life in that he had died nearly a century ago, and his mother was in another dimension, encased in a giant emerald as punishment for traveling between the worlds. One year for each human she seduced.

(She’d been trapped for at least the last decade, by his estimation.)

_Shuichi._

The part about him being raised by his uncle was true, if one could consider his mentor an honorary uncle. In reality, they had no connection through their bloodline, but through circumstance. His uncle, known as Takumi Saihara, was a man in his mid-fifties, a working detective in Japan for roughly twenty of those years.Shuichi admired his skills, knowledge, and accomplishments, and easily felt that their bond could have been familial.

Takumi Saihara was also not human.

He was a shapeshifter who often preferred a human form, one that Shuichi tried to emulate as soon as he’d been unceremoniously pushed into the human world as a necessary outcast. Being a detective was hereditary, so why not appearances too?

_**Shuichi.** _

If anything, Shuichi would have chosen his appearances over his detective work. But as a hybrid who shouldn’t have even existed in the first place, it was less of a birthright and more of an obligation. The hierarchy of demonhood was a cruel mistress, one that Shuichi felt powerless to fight against. At the very least, he supposed, he had lived a fairly comfortable life. Some demons, especially those that had inherited less humane traits, certainly couldn’t say the same. It would have been nice if he’d been born with something interesting like wings or a tail though.

_**“Shuichi!”** _

With a surprised yelp, Shuichi reached out and gripped for the first solid ledge he could find, which happened to be the edge of his nightstand. He blearily opened his eyes, blinking away the speckled blurs in his vision until he could see the rest of his bedroom— And his uncle, standing in the doorway with a relieved expression on his face.

“You had me scared for a second, kid,” He said, shaking his head and slumping his shoulders. “You weren’t waking up, and I thought the memory flow had finally killed you.”

Shuichi shook his head, wincing as he tried to ignore the light throbbing in it. “I’m fine, but thank you.”

“If you’re sure.”

Shuichi watched as his uncle walked away, and sighed as he let himself enjoy the comfort of his blankets for a precious last few seconds before reluctantly getting out of bed. It had been a strenuous night, and he’d only barely managed to return to his home and slip into bed a few hours prior. A quick look at his bedside clock revealed it to be just after seven in the morning, and a glance through the blinds of his bedroom window told him that it was past dawn.

That probably meant he needed to go to school in an hour.

_Damn it._

Shuichi inwardly groaned.

He already knew that his classmates would comment on his eyebags once again. It came along with his profession and his nature, and he suspected that by the time he finished his second year of high school, they’d be a permanent fixture on his face. A look in the mirror confirmed that yes, they looked exactly as bad as he’d imagined they did, and in his indecision to call in sick for the day, he’d inadvertently caused himself to run late for his morning commute. At the very least, he was able to get a ride to school from his uncle, but that meant a conversation about his overnight excursion, which Shuichi really didn’t want to rehash while he was still sleep-deprived.

He knew better than to say the day couldn’t get any worse. It almost always did.

* * *

**The night before…**

_Shuichi surveyed the area surrounding the dock. Despite the sky growing darker, there was always the occasional late-night jogger or dog-walker that would pass by, and he was sure that his cover story of looking for pokéstops on Pokémon GO at nearly midnight would only be believable for so long. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d been interrupted on his journey to the demon world, anyway._

With confirmation that he was indeed alone, he stepped off the dock, and let himself fall. Deep, deeper, as time and space distorted and warped around him. It was almost comically easy to pass in and out of the human world by any body of water— No wonder the demons of the Old Days were able to appear wherever they pleased. Shuichi didn’t have too much time to reflect on the humor of it, though, as he slowly felt the gravity around him reverse, letting him float upwards until he breached the surface.

A large stretch of intricate hedging and flowers surrounded him as he stumbled out of the gold-plated fountain, somehow perfectly dry as always. The sky was a vibrant pink, as it always seemed to be whenever Shuichi arrived at the imperial palace’s gardens, and a fresh, earthy scent filled his nostrils. Contrary to human imagination, the demon world wasn’t made of fire and brimstone and caves and darkness (or at least, the nicer parts of it weren’t); It was more akin to a cluster of biomes, and Shuichi had the “fortune” of being able to visit the most prosperous of them. He took a moment to gather his bearings, and briskly stepped along the marble stone path that led to the palace. There was no time to delay; He only had four hours or so before his memory would begin to blur.

The interior of the palace was ridiculously spacious, and as Shuichi stepped inside, he was briefly grateful that he’d been inside enough times to know how to navigate to his division. As he wandered through the vast lobby, across shimmering mosaic flooring and vibrantly lit corridors, he mentally times himself. One, two, three minutes until he reached the looming decorative doors in front of him. He gripped the ring of solid gold on the door-knocker, and slammed it down rhythmically.

“Just a minute!”

Shuichi tapped his foot nervously as the voice from behind the barrier grew increasingly muffled and irritated, until finally, the doors opened.

“Oh, Shuichi! You got here faster than I expected.”

Shuichi smiled somewhat nervously at the form before him; A tall, imposing figure covered in olive green and pale beige robes, staring at him through twin pairs of eyes; Hazel on the left, red on the right. His long, twisted hair spread to the ground like tree branches, and had to be pushed aside by his two sets of arms.

“Ah, um…” Shuichi stammered.

The figure blinked, all four eyes at different paces, until a somewhat sheepish expression crossed his face.

“Sorry, I forgot you’re not used to seeing me like this.”

Slowly, Shuichi watched as he began to shrink in size, his long tangles of hair falling and practically fading out of existence into a much more manageable spiked style, his eyes and arms fusing into single pairs, and his robes slowly shifting into something much more humanlike: A casual shirt, black jeans, and a tie.

“Thank you, Hajime.”

Hajime smiled lopsidedly, and gestured for Shuichi to follow him inside.

The room they were in was suspiciously similar to an office, if you excluded the fact that everything was made of vibrant tile and precious metal. Right in the center was a desk and chair, which Hajime proceeded to take a seat at, before looking at Shuichi pointedly. It was always a little unnerving, having Hajime’s attention locked onto him, and it took most of Shuichi’s effort to resist the urge to look away.

“In regards to the last case…” Hajime began, “The chimera that had been spotted near the overworld’s Amigara fault line has been dealt with and returned to its owner, correct?”

“Yes,” Shuichi nodded.

“Did any other humans spot it before capture?”

“No.”

“Any casualties?”

Shuichi paused, and bit his lower lip.

“Just someone’s pet. We were able to explain it as a mauling from a wild boar.”

Hajime examined Shuichi closely, causing him to shift nervously where he stood.

“Well, I suppose that’s the best result we could hope for, given its considerable rage when it was delivered,” Hajime said finally, leaning back in his chair as his expression eased into something less intense. “You’re still a greenhorn, but I can tell you’re trying your best, given the circumstances.”

“Thank you,” Shuichi sighed in relief.

“Do you think you’d be able to handle a more complex case?” Hajime asked kindly, though it wasn’t much of a question— They both knew he was obligated to take on whichever cases he was given.

“I can… try,” Shuichi responded.

With that, Hajime stood up, and retrieved a scroll from one of the many storage cells to the side of the office, presenting it to Shuichi with a flourish. Shuichi opened the scroll and quickly skimmed through the details.

“A band of tricksters has reportedly been recorded as breaching the veil to the human world after a series of high-profile robberies,” Hajime briefly explained. “Originally, the ten we’ve identified as the escapees were vagrants whose petty crimes from the lower echelon have evolved into something increasingly more profitable… and dangerous. They were almost captured on Jabberwock island after stealing several artifacts belonging to the Novoselic sector, but they managed to open a portal in the form of a whirlpool.”

Shuichi grimaced; There was certainly a difference between catching wild (albeit bloodthirsty) demon fauna and a large group of highly powerful renegades.

“Why…” Shuichi hesitated, but continued, “...Why am I being assigned this case if I’m just an amateur? Shouldn’t they send someone like Kyoko to do it?”

Hajime looked at him with something like pity; “We need someone with a low profile to find them. The demons are supposedly experts at intelligence gathering, and if we sent any of our higher-ranked detectives, they’d be easily recognizable. You’re more likely to blend in… Plus, we’ve received information that the exit portal was spawned near your human home.”

Shuichi frowned at the scroll. Tricksters were notoriously skilled at defying those higher in the metaphorical food chain, and were often relegated to sectors reserved for the lower echelons. This posed problems for the current politics of the demon world; Namely, the fact that they essentially lived in slums caused further resentment, which led to a cycle of crime and punishment. This, however, was a whole new level of criminal activity.

(Somewhere in the back of Shuichi’s mind, he was guiltily grateful that he was given more prestige by design, even if it was a highly unpleasant position.)

“Take your time in looking over the scroll… there’s a lot to go through,” Hajime said, then made a sour face and mumbled something about bureaucracy. 

Shuichi had a sinking feeling that the remainder of his four hours was going to be more of the same.

* * *

“So that’s why you took so long, then,” Takumi nodded as he parked the car in front of the school gates. “You couldn’t have taken a copy of the scroll with you to look over later?”

“You know I don’t have the freedom to take items from the demon world back with me, no matter how useful it would be,” Shuichi said glumly.

Takumi looked at him for several stretched seconds, and sighed.

“Times like these make you wish it was one way or the other, don’t they?”

Shuichi looked up at his uncle from underneath the brim of his cap, and tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

“I can see it in your eyes, kid,” Takumi continued carefully. “You have the same look that I did when I was assigned to be a detective. Tired, wishing you could have picked a side, human or demon, black or white…” Another pause, and then, “The worlds would be much better if things were that simple.”

Shuichi remained silent for several seconds, pondering the deeper meaning of his uncle’s words. Eventually, he decided on a neutral “I should get going, or else I really will be late.” He received a weary smile and a “good luck at school” in return.

Shuichi spared no time in stepping out of the car and into the school grounds, hearing more than seeing the car starting up behind him and driving away.

The lack of chatter around him was peaceful in a way that was fleeting; Shuichi tried not to let the weight of his latest case assignment settle in his stomach for too long, and instead tried to remember what he was even supposed to be doing in class that day. The rush of memories in the morning had left him disoriented, though he supposed that was nothing new. It came with his heritage, for lack of a better word— Being born from a sleep paralysis demon had its biological quirks, and while Shuichi wasn’t entirely sure how constantly losing and regaining his memories while traversing in-between dimensions applied to his genetics, it was just a fact of life.

Most of the unfortunate happenings he faced were “just facts of life”.

Suddenly, without realizing it, Shuichi had reached the door to his classroom. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, and braced himself as he opened the door and stepped inside, then immediately ducked his head to avoid eye contact with his classmates. He could already feel their eyes boring into him, and his suspicions were confirmed when he sat down at his desk and peeked to the side. At the very least, the desk he was seated in was next to one of the kindest of his classmates.

“Shuichi… are you feeling okay?” She spoke in a hushed voice.

“I’m fine… but thank you, Kaede.”

Kaede Akamatsu was a human, but to Shuichi, she was an angel. She was pretty, charming, talented, and she spoke to him as if he was her equal, not her underling. She was the class representative, a piano prodigy, and absolutely gorgeous to boot. He might have even found himself having a crush on her, if she hadn’t made it incredibly clear that she was more interested in other girls. Oh, and the whole “interdimensional demon travel” thing was a bit of a problem to any relationship prospects as well. But nonetheless, Kaede was one of the few people Shuichi could truly call a friend.

“I’m guessing you were up helping your uncle with paperwork again?” Kaede continued, oblivious to Shuichi’s internal monologue.

“Yeah, something like that,” Shuichi said, offering up a small smile.

“You might want to look alive though,” She said, leaning in closer with a much larger smile, “I was told yesterday that there’s going to be a transfer student joining us soon.”

“In the middle of August?” Shuichi said, tapping a finger against his chin, “That’s a little unusual, don’t you think?”

Kaede hummed, and gestured to the day planner on her desk. “Apparently his parents had to move during the summer due to a job switch. I was supposed to introduce him to the class this morning, but I haven’t seen him yet…”

As if on cue, the classroom door swung open once more, and all eyes turned to watch the figure that had just strolled in.

The first thing that Shuichi noticed: His hair. It was an odd shade of obsidian-purple, with violet tips and streaks that curled and flared out like tentacles. The second thing that Shuichi noticed: His scarf. It was black-and-white checkerboarded, a stark contrast to the warm brown of their standard uniform blazers and pants. The third thing that Shuichi noticed: His eyes. They were a shade of purple that was only further emphasized by the paleness of his skin, and they swiftly scanned across the room before settling into a wink.

“Good morning students! Sorry I’m late, traffic was a hassle. Unfortunately, Mr. Takeda is out sick today, so I’ll be taking over the class for him. Now, let’s get to roll call!”

A beat of silence stretched onward, leaving Shuichi wide-eyed and owlish, until finally, several peals of laughter rang throughout the classroom. The loudest, by far, was Miu— One of Shuichi’s classmates and many causes of embarrassment— who cackled so loudly that flecks of spit almost flew out of her mouth.

“Ha! Shrimpy here must wanna be a fuckin’ class clown.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you’d already taken that title,” The student retorted, to which Miu ‘tch’ed indignantly.

A few more giggles filtered through the air. Shuichi wasn’t sure if he should be glad that the attention was taken away from himself, or confused at the events that were currently taking place. Where was their homeroom teacher, anyway?

“Hey!” Kaede spoke up, loud and awkwardly enthusiastic, “You’re Kokichi, right? The transfer student? It’s nice to meet you!”

The transfer student (Kokichi?) smiled widely and said, “You’re Kaede, right? The girl who was supposed to meet me at the front gates like twelve minutes ago? Nice to meet you too!”

Kaede looked surprised for a moment, and furrowed her brows. “No, I thought I was supposed to meet you in the advisor’s office.”

“Hmm, well someone must have made a mistake somewhere along the lines, ‘cause I was totally told by Mr. Takeda that you’d be meeting me outside the school gates! I was starting to get worried, you know? It’s a miracle I managed to find this classroom so quickly to begin with.”

Kaede’s smile turned a bit sheepish. “Oh, I’m sorry… I could have sworn, but…”

“Wait,” Shuichi piped up, not realizing his mistake until it was far too late.

Kokichi’s eyes zeroed in on Shuichi, making an unnatural chill run down his spine.

He refused to back down anyway.

“I didn’t see you at the front gate when I got in, and that was only three or four minutes ago.”

“Interesting. I didn’t know we had a clown AND a detective in the class!”

“Hey!” Miu piped up, but quickly shriveled back into her seat upon Kokichi’s flat expression.

“Actually,” Kaede added, determined, “Shuichi is a detective. And you were totally late!”

Kokichi’s gaze narrowed slightly, and he offered Shuichi a cryptic smile. “Well, that’s good to know. I happen to admire detectives.” His grin then turned playful before Shuichi could even process the change; “But you were right! I was late. Got caught up in some tricky business and ended up being delayed. By the way, Mr. Takeda really isn’t going to be here, at least for a few more minutes anyway. When I was passing by the office, I heard one of the administrators mention something about him getting into a fender bender.” A short pause, and he added, “And that’s the truth.”

“Then why hasn’t anyone notified us?” Shuichi asked.

“Beats me,” Kokichi shrugged, and strode across the room into the singular empty seat at the edge of the classroom.

Fortunately for Shuichi, it was far enough from his that he didn’t have to deal with any potential shenanigans during the class period, especially as Mr. Takeda stepped into the classroom mere moments later, launching into a spiel about how he’d gotten into a minor accident en route to the school. And yet…

Somehow, Shuichi felt as though Kokichi was watching him.


	2. Penny, Portal, Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuichi looked away, pulling the brim of his hat down to hide what was surely a deep red blush. “It’s… not really that big of a deal.”
> 
> “Hey, no flirting with my sister!” Kokichi said, though his smile didn’t leave his face.
> 
> “I wasn’t… wait, sister?” Shuichi asked, looking between the two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry for the delay with the chapter, I've been super busy IRL with other media projects (and also moving) so I'd had the chapter rotting in my drafts for a bit before I finished the last few parts of it. This is a short update, but I hope you enjoy it!

_An excerpt from the Imperial Palace’s Office of Misconduct case file #53-AR:_

_The fifth offense, addressed through the current case file, remarks the following transgressions, including (but not wholly limited to):_

  * Unapproved travel from purported home sector (“DICE”) through northern channel into key sector (“NOVOSELIC”)
  * Larceny of key sector’s Heirloom Treasury items #23 (FALKOR’S MUFFLER), #72 (SECOND BUTTON), #86 (CENTURY POTPOURRI), #89 (SAND GOD’S STORM HORN)
  * Nonviolent aggression against Treasury guards via use of smoke bombs, audio interference, and unknown substances similar in appearance to multicolored foam ribbons (cross-referenced from case file #53-DR, potential alias “SILLY STRING”)
  * Illegal travel through unapproved portal located in southwestern channel at final sector (“JABBERWOCK”)



_Current threat level has been raised to Rank A; Current course of action requires immediate location and apprehension of listed vagrants. Failure to do so within enclosed area of documentation requires level elevation to Rank S._

* * *

The end of the school day brought a certain sense of dread within Shuichi.

The last remaining vestiges of his memories that had fled from him on his trip back from the demon world were finally in place, and that meant he had little time to delay in beginning his investigation. It was also a relief though, because the burning gaze of his classmates’ eyes on him could have made him spontaneously combust. And while that might not have been humanly possible, Shuichi still was not human.

He walked down the stairs to the school’s ground floor, one step at a time, allowing himself to savor the last few minutes before he boarded the train to his destination: The origin point of the whirlpool portal that had allowed the band of tricksters to escape. By his approximation, it would take fifteen minutes to arrive at the dropoff point: The entryway to the path of a small, hidden-away shrine by an even smaller, more-hidden-away koi pond. Just his luck that the point would be spawned in the same prefecture that he lived in.

As he passed through the school gates, he glanced to the side, and immediately did a double-take. Standing to the side of the gates was a fairly tall girl in an unfamiliar school uniform that almost looked like a fashion designer’s attempt at “solitary confinement-chic”, with two light brown pigtails that reached past her shoulders. What caught his eye the most, however, was the slightly-tattered checkerboard scarf draped around her neck, which looked suspiciously similar to the one worn by—

“Kokichi!”

The girl called out suddenly, and the sound of footsteps quickly faded into hearing distance behind him.

“You might wanna move, Emo Hat,” The girl warned, and Shuichi (who barely registered the snub) sidestepped just in time for Kokichi to avoid barreling into him. Shuichi stood in shock for several seconds; The two in front of him couldn’t possibly be related… could they?

“Aw, Penny! I didn’t expect you to be the one picking me up today!” Kokichi grinned after screeching to a halt, and posed excitedly. “Does that mean we can get an after-school snack? Ronny-Mac didn’t take me to get anything when we were scoping out the place yesterday.”

The girl (“Penny”, Shuichi supposed) merely frowned at him and shook her head. “Sorry hon… Bozo doesn’t have enough cash for it tonight.”

“Aw, peas,” Kokichi pouted. His pout swiftly changed into a neutral smile as his eyes wandered over to Shuichi. “Oh hey Shuichi! Does eavesdropping fall under your list of detective skills?”

Shuichi blinked.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t— I mean, it was… unintentional.”

“You know Emo Hat?” Penny asked Kokichi, following Kokichi’s lead and staring at him with a quirked eyebrow.

“Yup! He’s one of my classmates,” Kokichi shrugged, and in a stage whisper, added, “He’s a detective. And apparently a good one too!”

Penny’s eyebrow practically flew up. “That’s rather… impressive.”

Shuichi looked away, pulling the brim of his hat down to hide what was surely a deep red blush. “It’s… not really that big of a deal.”

“Hey, no flirting with my sister!” Kokichi said, though his smile didn’t leave his face.

“I wasn’t… wait, sister?” Shuichi asked, looking between the two.

Aside from the checkerboard scarf, they looked nothing alike. Though, Shuichi was no geneticist by any means, so he couldn’t say they weren’t related either. _Maybe Kokichi dyed his hair?_

“Your face is way too transparent, Emo Hat,” Penny sighed, then turned to Kokichi, “And we need to get going. Pietro’s waiting for us.”

“Fine, fine. See you tomorrow Shuichi!” Kokichi said with an exaggeratedly cute wave, and followed Penny away from the school gates.

Shuichi didn’t get the chance to wave back.

As he pulled his phone out of his bookbag to check the time (and belatedly realized he needed to run to the station, or else he’d be late for the train _again_ ), he mulled over the weird conversation he’d witnessed. It was, by all means, a normal conversation for two siblings to have… but there was something off about it that he couldn’t quite name.

But there wasn’t time to dwell on it.

* * *

The cobblestone steps to the shrine were steep, covered in layers of dirt and weeds. The trees surrounding the path to them were wildly branched, their leaves shaking with the mild end-of-summer breeze. The last few cicadas of the season were making a racket. In other words, it was very outdoorsy, and Shuichi was not prepared for it. As he made his way up, cursing the strain in his legs (maybe he did need to take one of his classmates up on his offer to exercise together), he listened carefully for the sound of running water.

“Damn it,” He muttered to himself as he reached the top of the stairs, “Of all the places to look for a spawn point…”

And then he immediately stumbled over the root of a tree trunk, narrowly avoiding a faceplant into the dirt.

As he picked himself up and tried to dust himself off as best as he could, he craned his neck, picking apart the sounds.

The one benefit to being born of a demon was the advantage of heightened senses. While Shuichi couldn’t technically shapeshift or portray certain demonic traits— A large part of the reason for which he couldn’t enter the demon world often— His physical senses were on par with those of the higher echelons when he desired them to be, which was at least useful in that it made his job as a detective easier.

_I should be close,_ he thought, _But there’s no discernable path to the shrine. How weird… You’d think that it would be hard to miss, even with the overgrowth… Unless someone tried to cover it up._

Shuichi frowned and pressed onward.

Eventually, he managed to navigate to the shrine, which was more like a small stone shed with a wooden placard affixed to the roof. The small space for offerings was suspiciously empty, not even a potted plant or bowl to decorate the interior. Something told Shuichi it wasn’t due to the obscurity of the location. A turn to the right revealed a small pond of water, barely large enough to warrant a miniscule waterfall and a few koi swimming in the shallow depths. Shuichi paused, and looked over it.

Regarding travel between the human world and the demon world, an interesting natural phenomenon occurred: The entry point of a portal would need to be a large body of water, while the exit point could be as small as the one exiting it. This was due to a sort of energy exchange, not dissimilar to jumping off of a diving board; The action of jumping required active energy usage, while the act of falling did not. The size of the exit point implied that the tricksters who had passed through it couldn’t have been much more than slightly-larger-than-usual humans. Shuichi crouched down, and gently placed his hand into the water. Reality faded around him.

* * *

_Darkness enveloped the area. From the water, ten figures arose, one by one. Their forms were hard to make out in the depths of the night, each one a varied size and shape. The one distinction to be made was that one of the shortest seemed to carry a mass of jingling, rustling items. Slowly, the sound of hooved feet joined the symphony, growing louder as it ventured forth and laid down the items. Four, each a different texture and weight. Thump, clink, swish, clatter._

_"Boss," A distorted voice whispered, "Are you sure it's okay to put those on the ground?"_

_"We don't have time to worry about that!" Another louder distorted voice said. "We need to focus on sealing up this pond." The figure then shifted to look at the tallest of the group. "Tall One, do you have the sand?"_

_"I do, but… it might not last long in this world."_

_"Just throw it in already so they can't follow us!"_

_"Sure thing, Boss."_

_With a whoosh and a splash, the water rippled and waved as sand began to plug up the pond, slowing the trickle of the waterfall. A sigh of relief rang through the woods._

_"Shy One, how far away is the nearest human township?"_

_"Um… I think only fifteen minutes away, if we run really fast. Thirty if we have to change forms in the middle of it."_

_"Hmm, well, you know I love running!"_

_"But how are we supposed to blend into the human world?"_

_The smallest figure snickered, and grouped the fallen items together._

_"Don't you worry your pretty little pigtails, Shy One. Boss has a plan." A pause. "Annnnnnd the first part of that plan is to come up with human names!"_

_"S o u n d s l i k e f u n . . ."_

_Flecks of static, moving, morphing, warping._

_"W h a t s h o u l d w e c a l l y o u ?"_

_"H o w  
a b o u t  
. . ."_

* * *

Shuichi reeled back, gasping in pain as he felt himself break into a cold sweat. His thoughts scrambled together, bits and pieces of his awareness swimming in his vision as he struggled to avoid collapsing.

_Damn it, and I was so close to getting a name!_

He clenched his (now wet) hand into a fist, mentally berating himself for being so foolish as to attempt to use his best abilities when he still hadn’t fully recovered from his earlier trip. Around him, the sound of the cicadas and leaves and water screeched in his ears, pounding at his head like a mallet. This lasted for several seconds, until finally the worst effects faded away, leaving Shuichi with a sort of clarity. He blinked once, twice, thrice, and sighed.

Once he’d had a moment to gather his thoughts, he gazed back into the waters of the koi pond, and watched his reflection. That hadn’t been the first time he’d attempted to use psychometry on non-solid objects with mixed results, but he’d definitely need to be more careful on his next attempt. Prying at the supernatural history of the water had been more dangerous than he’d counted on, and he had a strong feeling that when he returned to the house, his uncle would chastise him.

But he hadn’t died, and that was what mattered. For now.

With a heavy sigh, Shuichi put himself back together and walked away from the koi pond, only briefly contemplating the small shrine and placing a coin on the floor of it before making his way down the path.

_(Elsewhere, in the depths of an obfuscated building, far from the eyes of prying detectives, a conversation took place;_

_“Are you sure he’s the one, Boss?”_

_“Well yeah, obviously. He’s a detective, and he has the eyes. He’s probably already looked through our case and is trying to find us!”_

_“And our plan of action is…?”_

_“There is none!”_

_“...None?”_

_“The more we move, the more we risk being seen. And besides, I’ve already met him. Unless he’s a better actor than me, which is suuuuuuper impossible, he’s basically a tall meat sack with no real backbone.”_

_“But if he’s one of them, then he has to have some sort of beneficial power, right? Otherwise he’d practically be culled.”_

_“Which is why I have a plan set in place.”_

_“I thought you didn’t have a plan?”_

_“That was a lie.”_

_“So… um, what is the plan?”_

_“How does that one saying go? Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer…”_


	3. Grateful, Green, Glitter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Shuichi wandered down the hallway, not willing to test the strength or dexterity of his wings, he felt the temperature around him drop to bone-chilling degrees. Eventually, his movements slowed down as the warmth inside him began to fade, every muscle fighting invisible barriers of frost.
> 
> “What’s happening to me?” He gasped out, knowing the only one who could hear him was himself.
> 
> “You’re trying to wander out of solitary confinement, that’s what!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally an update!
> 
> As always, I am flying by the seat of my pants for this fic, but there's an image slowly starting to come together, so maybe look forward to that.
> 
> Anyway... enjoy!

**An excerpt from Progress Report #1 concerning case file #53-AR:**

_...Based on the findings from the entry point, I suspect that most, if not all of the tricksters from the region, have shapeshifting abilities. However, considering the high amount of energy needed for lower relegations to transfer to the human world, their origin point from DICE, and a sense of intuition, I’m inclined to believe that any remaining abilities would be used to maintain a human form. That being said, it’s also likely that the stolen relics remain in the human world, most likely pawned off to someone(s) unaware of their inherent power. It is my firm belief that locating the items will lead to the identities of the tricksters. Taking these factors into consideration, if I may make a formal request, I believe it would be in the Imperial Palace’s highest interest to send out ‘feelers’ to locate them._

* * *

Four days had passed since the incident at the koi pond, and Shuichi still had no leads on the whereabouts of the tricksters beyond what he’d already heard. Not a word from Hajime nor Kyoko, and certainly not a peep from the Imperial Ruler himself. To make matters worse, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched (well, he always felt like he was being watched, but this feeling was something far beyond natural. One might even say supernatural.)

“Are you sure you’ll be okay on this case by yourself?” Takumi asked on Sunday morning, watching warily as Shuichi munched on a granola bar from across the table.

“I don’t have a choice. I even sent a request to Hajime for assistance, and I haven’t gotten a response yet.”

“I was implying you could ask me for help, kid.”

Shuichi nearly choked as he sputtered bits of oats and dark chocolate onto the table. Takumi flinched.

“But you…” Shuichi started, then stopped to choose his words carefully.

Takumi Saihara was a shapeshifter, a half-demon with more power and energy in his left hand than Shuichi could muster with his whole body. Or at least, that would have been the case when he was younger. But Takumi had spent far too long in the human world, acting as a mentor to those designated as demon detectives like Shuichi himself. Constant exposure to not only the lifestyle, but the very essence of the human world, had considerably weakened his powers, to the point that Takumi couldn’t expend much of his abilities without consequence. Shuichi, being his latest protege, was privy to this information.

But Takumi, for his kindness and understanding, also held a fair amount of pride.

“...have other obligations here,” Shuichi finished lamely.

The glint in his uncle’s eye was all-too-knowing, but Shuichi was grateful he chose to ignore that particular faux pas.

“I may not be able to help track the tricksters down, but I could pull some strings in the search for the relics,” Takumi offered. “You’re fairly certain they haven’t returned to the demon world, right? I could see if the agency can keep a lookout for them. Don’t forget we have a department for stolen items.” A pause, and then, “It’s been a bit slow lately. I don’t think anyone would mind.”

Shuichi smiled slightly.

“I’d appreciate that a lot.”

Takumi stood up and clapped a hand on Shuichi’s shoulder, barely lingering, a show of support.

And for a small, blessed moment, it felt like things were looking up.

(That would change later that night… but Shuichi didn’t know that yet.)

He’d already caught up on his homework for the weekend and read ahead on one of his English assignments for the next week— easier for saving time if there was a lead on the case to be found— so the morning was relatively mundane. Halfway through making a mental note for which groceries he needed to buy, a buzz came from his pajama pants pocket. He pulled out his phone, only to be greeted by a new message from Kaede.

_▶ Hey, Shuichi! Are you available on Wednesday evening?_

_**▶ I’m not sure yet. Why do you ask?** _

_▶ Well, it’s kind of a long story!_

_▶ Apparently Korekiyo found some creepy new graffiti around that abandoned movie theater near the mall on Friday, and Kokichi managed to goad Kaito into ‘proving his bravery’ by spending an hour after sunset in one of the viewing rooms._

_▶ He tried convincing Maki to join him, but she said no._

_▶ So he asked me to ask you!_

_**▶ Why me?!** _

_▶ He said you ‘seemed like the type to try to rationalize any spooky things that happen.’_

_▶ I think he’s just scared and wants someone to keep him company :P_

_**▶ I’ll think about it.** _

_▶ Aw, I know that’s just Shuichi-speak for “No”!_

_▶ I don’t want to pressure you or anything, but I’m a little worried. We’ve known each other for a year and a half now, and you almost never want to go out anywhere with our other classmates. You deserve to have a little fun outside of work, you know?_

_**▶ I’m sorry. I really will think about it, then. I promise.** _

_▶ That makes me happy to hear!_

Shuichi smiled at his phone, and with the end of the conversation, put it back into his pocket. Kaede always had a knack for making him be social, and this time around was no exception. It was another part of her that he’d grown to appreciate, and though she didn’t know Shuichi’s exact predicament, her insights into his emotions were accurate enough that he’d learned to trust her judgment.

It was only after the conversation had ended that he realized he had forgotten almost everything he’d planned to buy at the grocery store.

Damn it.

* * *

Shuichi was certain that he was dreaming.

The distinction between reality and the dream world was often clear to him, moreso than to most humans. It helped that his mother specialized in sleep, and though he knew he’d have to relive the memory flow when he woke up, it was at least convenient in that he could organize his thoughts and relax, even if he felt compelled to deliver a box of fifty VHS tapes to the queen of England while it rained orange juice.

This dream, however, was unlike any he’d experienced before. One of the few constants in his dreams was the feature that his form remained as it did in reality. He could always identify himself as himself; Same pale skin, same nervous eyes, same teal-bordering-on-black hair with that annoying cowlick that never went away. And while his state of undress often varied, he was always still himself. Now, he could barely see a similarity. His skin was a dusty gray that faded like a gradient into sooty black, and when he looked down at his hands, his fingernails were extended into long, blunt claws. At his back extended two wide, leathery wings— The type that were often found in what one could call an “average” demon’s physiology. It somehow felt both natural and unnatural, like he’d unlocked a memory he had never actually had.

_What the hell was going on?!_

After he’d gotten past the initial shock of his changed appearance, he looked at his surroundings. The area around him was distorted, everything tinted in a shade of green, like looking through colored, unfocused lenses. A bright green hallway extended to what looked like infinity. Shuichi felt an instinctual urge to enter it.

The situation was already so strange that he couldn’t think of a reason not to indulge.

As Shuichi wandered down the hallway, not willing to test the strength or dexterity of his wings, he felt the temperature around him drop to bone-chilling degrees. Eventually, his movements slowed down as the warmth inside him began to fade, every muscle fighting invisible barriers of frost.

“What’s happening to me?” He gasped out, knowing the only one who could hear him was himself.

“You’re trying to wander out of solitary confinement, that’s what!”

...Or not?

Shuichi shivered.

“Who are you?”

“Oh, you know, just a friend! Or actually, maybe it’d be easier if you considered me an enemy.”

The voice felt familiar, but Shuichi couldn’t tell where he’d heard it from.

So cold, too cold…

“Anyway,” The voice from beyond teased, “All this green is making me sick. I bet you’d like to return to the demon world, wouldn’t you?”

“I…” Shuichi stopped to think, “... I would?”

“Wellllllllllll too bad! You’re kinda stuck here.”

“How do I get out?” Shuichi asked defiantly.

“Beats me! This is your own fear, you know. I’m just manifesting it. You know just about as much as I do!”

By that point, Shuichi was completely immobilized, practically frozen in time, like a statue.

Paralyzed.

“Anyway, this entire sequence is confusing me as much as it is you, and I don’t think I have enough time to hash out eeeeeeverything that I want to say right now, so I’ll give you an extra nugget of truth!”

Shuichi couldn’t even let out a noise.

“Did you ever hear the name ‘Junko Enoshima’? You should ask the hacks at your office about her! It’ll be fun, I bet. So… wake up.”

His eyes snapped open as he gasped for air, the atmosphere around him almost stiflingly hot. He sat up in his bed, grasping at his blankets. His back muscles flexed. No wings. Wait, wings? Did he ever have wings? Where was he? Why did his head hurt?

_It was almost like he’d had…_

…

_A nightmare?_

* * *

Shuichi had his uncle call in sick for him that Monday.

He wasn’t sick, or at least, not traditionally. The space behind his eyes burned and seared, like a headache caused by looking at a bright light after being stuck in the dark. The memories of his life and thoughts and obligations in the human world were dripping into his consciousness much slower than ever before, practically at the rate of molasses. To make matters worse, when he wasn’t filling and re-filling his mind with memories he knew he’d had, there was something in the back of his mind, inching across an infinitely vast space to the edges of his awareness.

Somehow, he couldn’t think about the color green without feeling a bit green himself.

He didn’t quite know how long he’d been awake for. By the time most of his awareness had returned, he could see the sun already high in the sky, and the clock at his bedside read past four in the afternoon. He shifted underneath the covers, preparing to fall back into another bout of fitful sleep.

_Ding dong!_

(Or not.)

Shuichi sluggishly slid out of bed, rubbing his eyes as he stepped out of his bedroom and made his way to the front door; He idly noted that his uncle was nowhere to be found, though any worries were assuaged by the sticky note left at his space on the kitchen table, stating he had to go into the office for an emergency meeting and that he’d be back late (Shuichi was also pleased to note that there was a small package of shortbread cookies next to it, which he typically saved for bad days.) As he padded to the door, the sound of the doorbell ringing rang louder and more insistently. Who in the world…?

“Hey Shuichi! I got a present for you!”

Kokichi stared at him through the threshold of the door, though whether he was grinning or not was hard to tell due to the sick mask he wore. In his hands was a neatly wrapped package, complete with a shiny, plastic ribbon in a bow. Shuichi raised an eyebrow, noting the lightness of the package.

“Um. Thank you?”

“Geez, Tsumugi guessed right. You look like shit warmed over!”

Shuichi leveled him with a flat stare. “What are you doing at my house?”

Kokichi shrugged, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly. “Just came to deliver that to you. Kaede told me to make sure it got to you, since you were sick. How else did you think I knew where you live?”

Shuichi didn’t have an answer to that one.

“By the way,” Kokichi continued, turning away to hide his expression, “I heard that Kaito somehow roped you into joining him for the little excursion on Wednesday. Be careful, you never know what kind of spooky stuff might happen there.”

“You goaded him into going in the first place. Shouldn’t you be the one accompanying him?” Shuichi refuted.

“Nah. I have other irons in the fire. Besides, he’ll probably end up bailing on the place after five minutes, if I know him at all.”

Shuichi didn’t have the heart to admit Kokichi was almost certainly right, so instead, he nodded, thanked him again, and watched as Kokichi practically skipped away. For someone who hadn’t been in the classroom for more than a week, he was already stirring up enough mischief to make Shuichi wary and/or exhausted at any given moment.

After closing the front door behind him, Shuichi carefully looked at the package— A box no larger than a textbook— and opened it. Inside the box was a padded envelope. Inside the envelope was a manilla folder. Inside the folder was a mailing envelope, which looked like it was stuffed with...something. Shuichi carefully opened the envelope, and pulled out a set of folded papers, which opened to reveal a frankly ridiculous amount of glitter (and a set of worksheets that he’d missed for the day.)

He sighed, and began to look for the broom.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment and kudos if you like what you've read so far! They give me life.


End file.
